Bajwa Terms Rs 69 Hike in Paddy MSP a Betrayal of Farmers

Bajwa Terms Rs 69 Hike in Paddy MSP a Betrayal of Farmers

Chandigarh 29 May ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : Reacting to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union Government’s decision to increase the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy by Rs 69 per quintal — from Rs 2,300 to Rs 2,369 — Punjab’s Leader of Opposition (LoP), Partap Singh Bajwa, on Thursday slammed the move, calling it a betrayal of farmers. “Does the BJP government seriously believe that such a paltry hike would help double farmers’ income?” Bajwa asked. “The Modi government has clearly reneged on its promise to implement the MSP formula — C2+50% — recommended by eminent agricultural scientist Dr M.S. Swaminathan.” The senior Congress leader accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failing to deliver on promises made both during his tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister and later as Prime Minister. “PM Modi has not fulfilled the recommendations he once endorsed in March 2011 while serving as Gujarat CM. Despite repeated assurances, farmers have yet to receive a legal guarantee on MSP,” Bajwa said. He pointed out that while the Union Cabinet recently approved an MSP hike for 14 crops for the 2025–26 season, it remained silent on the crucial demand for a legal guarantee of MSP — a long-standing concern of farmers. “On November 19, 2021, the Prime Minister announced the repeal of the three controversial farm laws and also declared the formation of a panel on MSP. More than three years later, the government has failed to provide a legal framework ensuring guaranteed procurement,” Bajwa said. He concluded by stressing that without a legal assurance for procurement, any MSP declaration holds little value. “The farmers’ demand for a legally guaranteed MSP is not only valid — it’s long overdue,” he added.